Method of decorating articles of hosiery



y 2, c. A. BARRETT 1,906,512

METHOD OF DECORATING ARTICLES OF HOSIERY Filed Oct. 29, 1932 ATTORNEYS.

' explain the same Fig.1.,

Patented Mayo 2, I

, or nhnci monn-imwqyonxl I v.

"amnion or nncom'rme ARTICLES ornos mmr Application flled October 29,i1932.;y Seria1No.640,24$.i

I ,K :My inven ion relates to ,a new nd improved method of decorating articles of chosieryr .7 a a V 1 One of the objects of my invention is'to- Y providea simple and improved methqd for "m 'vide a method whereby the articles of hosiery may be handledinlarge quantities. Anotherobjectof my inventionis to pro- I vide, a method whereby the; desired design can be clearly printed, even though the de- 5 sign has considerable-- detail. a

' l Otherflobjects of my invention will be' 'set i-forth in thek'following description and draw- .ing which illustrates L preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above general-jstatement of the objects of my invention is intended merely to-generally manner. Y .1 Fig. 1 isaplanview showinga numberj'of unprinted; stocking ygblanks 5 connected to. .a carrier fabric; 1L1v Fig; 211s a sectional view on the1ine2- 2 Fig. 3 isa r ,the stocking blanks and Lupon the carrier fi bri v FigAisa rintingoperationb Ito-has heretofore been has1;required' theuse of-a very expensive method in handling the individualblanks, and the printed design has'not been appl ed .or developed in a clear and uniform manner. 5 :According to; my invention a suitable :,number of stockingblanks 2fare aflixed. to a carrierfabric I have illustrated the use of the ordinary; flatstockingblankswhich are; gused in making fullfashioned hosiery;

, 'The carrier fabric l iis preferably made iof i closely woven cotton fabric, which i has been suitably shrunk and which has httle; or no fabric l s'o that the thread of the switch can be easilyi pulled out. JThe stitches S; area andjnot 'td limit, it in; any: V v

. ing medium very readily. For this purpose the carrier fabr c :1 should be .free from siza few an el-era. nae. ing how the design has been printed upon plan 0f stockingi h jblankb'; j: Y '7 -Fig., 5 diagrammaticall illustratesthe .c1 al properties to thecottoncarrienfabric' attempted to print 1,said carriervfabric 1 may. beztreated, at a upon individual stocking blanks, butcthisc.

and. additionagents, and this refers not:

ning.and;weaving. c

i any is blanks =2 areconnectedto thecarrienfabric 1 1,: with the longitudinal, axes] of, the blanks parallel tothe; warp threads of;the fabric The carrier fabricl is so clo y Woven and ,shrunk'that iit has little orno stretcher elasticity even on the: bias. The ,shee t. 'of"carrierjfabric 'l may be several; hundred yards in length, and a large number, of,the blanks I 2 are connected thereto,. lsaid blanks being 9 preferably arrangedin longitudinal rows; -NYhileI do notwishfto be limitedtoariy pap ticular means for connecting the stocking blanks 2 to the carrier fabric 1,"I; preferto accomplishthis connection by meanso f a releasable stitch S This stitchiis formedfby cotton-thread or the likeyiiand said stitchjis preferably not; interlocked with "the carrier located atlthel ;edges .of the. stocking blanks. The carrier fabric '1 can absorbr the prin't ing, .gum, finishing inaterial and v theflike, 1 i

fuzz and projecting fibres of 'allkinda 4 a The objectzof eliminating the -"gum sizing 1 and i 1 the like, ist0 '1enderitl1e carrier fabric 1- very: absorbent, and the 7 obj (act it of eliminating all fuzz and loose fibres from the'cotton yarn," is to prevent. the printed design, from blurring In. order to impart, these.;spe-;

suitably highv temperature in a suitable solution of olive Oll soap. For this purable' washing. The carrier fabric is thus completely freef fro m-all fatty impurities 9 onlytothe fats, waxesfor theilike which are" naturally present in: the fibre; ,butalso includes those materialsYwhich are; added I artificially during thefoperations' of spine 1 o pose the. carrier fabricl'may beboiled in; 9

the solution "of olive oil soap, and, all traces v of soap are. removed from the fabric by suit- The carrier fabric 1 is treated inthe manner above mentioned before the stocking blanks2 are connected thereto. The carrier fabric 1 has the usual white or gray 5 color. If desired, the carrier fabric 1 could be woven from specially prepared yarn whichfis nee; from fuzzia'nd which is very absorbent. rier fabric 1 should be thoroughly shrunk. The connection between thestockin blanks and the carrier fabric shouldbe su ciently strong to prevent the stocking. blanks from stretching or creeping during the pr ntin operation, in order to prevent distortion 0 thedesign which is printed upon said stocking blank. 1

As there'iaremany styles or methods of.

printing'upon textile fabrics, I do not wish to be limited'to any particular. style or method] p i However, "I prefer to use the dischar e style or method of printing upon the stoc ing blanks, which are ordinarily made of 0d" is thefsame'style .ormethod of printing which is largely used for-printing silk neckties,handkerchiefsand inufilers. For this i ed with any suitable design D, the carrier purpose the silk, blanks are first suitably dyedfwith a ground' colon and aqprinting medium is utilized which contains; a dis- "charge of any suitable type. Likewise, I m'ayjuse the resist style or method'of 'r nting in which the blanks are first treate with a suitable" resist andthej printing, machine is then. utilized for applyinga medium which includesac'id' or directcolors. Before the silk stt icking blanks are placed upon the carrier, the stocking blanks are first boiled-oil "or finished in any suitable manner, and the stocking blanks are then temporarily. sewed together; in stocking. form, said forms are boarded or ironed by means of heat and *pressure,aiid the temporarystitches are then removedfronr the stocking'forms, so that the 5 blanksbe flat and'smooth on the carrier belt. Likewise Imay'utilize the in rain process which aninsoluble color is Y "ally developedupontheisilkyarn or fibref L mhe'silk binks are treated'i'n any of the welli known manners for the purposes of the printing operation, dependent upon the style or method of printing which is utilized.

"The silk blanks may be connected to the cartier fabric l while theyare prepared for the printing, or the silkblanks may be firstprepared for the printing ,operatiomand they can bethen connected to the carrier fabric 1. "However, it is preferable-to first connect the *sillr blanks toithe carrier fabric 1, ortoconnect' said blanks'to the carrier fabricl while some of the. preliminary operations are bef ing performed upon said silk blanks, be-

eaiisethe carrier abric 1 may be one thou-v It is also desirable that the car 1 silk, rayon; orc'ot ton. This discharge methsand yards in length, and said carrier fabric 1, together with the connected stocking r0118 is provided with the usual doctor blade 9 for removing surplus printing medium, and said. printing roll 8 may also be provided with the usual lint doctor blade 10.

- Fi ht) also shows the usual endless printinghlanket B, and the usual back gray cloth G. Theusual guide rollers R are also provided.

Fig. 5 illustrates printing in a single color, but any number of printing rollers could be' provided, if it is desired to print in a plurality of colors. a

The printing mediumincludes dextrine or ether thickening agent,*so that it is applied in the ordinar'y manner. r

7 While the stocking blanks are beingprint curately print very filnedesignswhich have great detail. The special carrier-cloth 1 readily absorbs the inn-so that the design doesnot spreadupon the knit fabric: The

absorptive power of the carrier cloth should at least be equal-to that ofthe knit fabric, in

order to prevent the design fremspreadin upon the'k-nit fabricb Likewise, it is; pre

erable to connect the stocking blanks tothe carrier fabric by; means of the thread of, the stitches S, instead of using an adhesive, because-the use'ofthe adhesive wouldint'erfere with the application of the printing .vmedium." When the stocking has i large loops, such' as meshstockings, the engraved design on the rollenmay be correspondingly coarse. In a finely knit stocking, thedesign is fineg The printingrolIer may beengraved by photo-engraving, etc,

and printing'may be single color ormulti colo'r; i i H I. do notwislrto be limited to this speeific example; as it ismerel-y illustrative as indicating the proper relationship between the ahsorptionof the printing medium:by;

the-stocking blank and the absorption "of:

said medium by" hecarrier-fabric; f i

After thewrinti-ng has beencompleted, the earrier fa ric and the attachedstocking blanks are then sulojeeted to the usualad-;,-. "ditional processes; suchas steamingaging,

cialearrier cloth 1 makes it possible to acwashing, and the like. These '"operations .teriaLand then printingupon said stocking Y may be referred to as finishing operations, because they finish or complete the printing operation. The stocking blanks are thus finished. The stocking blankscantherefore be handled very economically because the printing, as well as the operations prior to printing and subsequent to printing, are

performed while the stocking blanks are connected to the carrier fabric, so that the expense of printing upon the stocking I blanks does not materially exceed the expensev of printing upon a single long piece of fabric which may be one thousand yards in length.

In order to prevent the stocking blanks p and then disconnecting the edges of the iblank so that said blank lies smooth and I from being distorted while they are con nected to the carrier fabric, the carrier fab-v ric or a portion thereof may be placed in the flat condition upon a suitable table, the

stocking blanks are placed in proper 'posig .tion upon the carrier fabric while. said stocking blanks are perfectly flat and unstretched, and a .moving sewing .machine 1 head is then moved around the edges of the I stocking blanks so asto stitch them to'the carrier fabric; For this purposethe table V is provided with suitable grooves or perforations, in .orderto permit the sewing needle to penetrate thestocking blanks and the carrier fabric. Ihavenot illustrated sewing machines of this type in which the blanks and finishing. said stocking blanks subsequent tosaid printing operatlon while they remain connected to said carrier;

3.. In the art ofprinting upon stockings, i that step which consists in printing upon the stocking blankswhile they are connect ed to'a carrier made of absorbent material,

' CHARLES A. BARRETT.

head is moved'while the fabric is held stationary, as such machines are well known per se to the trade, and they are used for example in stitching numbers upon pieces of fabric. After the stocking blanks have been printed and finished, they can bere-f moved from the carrier fabric, and the "carrier fabric may be bleached or otherwise treated so as to restore it'to its original condition.

After the blanks are detached from the 7 carrier fabric, their'longitudinal edgesmay be stitched together in the, usual. manner for-completing the stocking.

The. carrier maybe made of anysuitable, fabric, woven, knitted or felted, orfrom any suitable absorbent material, such as a suit- "able paper, etc.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. In the art of printing upon stockings, I i I that step which. consists in printing upon r the stocking blanks while they are stitched to av carrier made of textile fabric, the threads of said carrier fabric which contact with said blanks-being substantially free from projecting fibres. a

2. A method of printing upon stockings which consists in connecting stocking blanks to a carrier made of absorbent ma- 

